Author: Press Room

Bridget Jones has joined Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Paddington as permanent residents of London’s famed Leicester Square.A new bronze statue of the romantic comedy heroine was unveiled Monday to mark 25 years since the release of the first Bridget Jones film.Actor Renée Zellweger – who has played the titular character four times since the first Bridget Jones’ Diary was released on big screens in 2001 – attended the unveiling along with author Helen Fielding, whose books inspired the films.The statue, which depicts Zellweger dressed in a mini skirt and clutching a diary and a pen, is the newest addition…

The Warehouse Group plans to cut head office jobs as it battles shrinking profit margins, even as the retail giant posts positive sales growth.The company, which includes Noel Leeming and Warehouse Stationery, reported total sales of $674.1 million for the 13 weeks ending November 2, up 0.9% on the previous year.But gross profit margins fell 0.4% with intense promotional activity and “challenging trading conditions” weighing on returns.The Warehouse Group chief executive Mark Stirton said while sales were up, the company wasn’t seeing enough full-price home and apparel sales at red sheds.”Sales revenue and units sold are up, which is an…

The cost of food continues to climb, with Stats NZ figures showing some of the sharpest increases in staples like cheese, eggs and milk. But few items rose as sharply in price as instant coffee – up 25.5 percent on last year, to an average $7.88 per 100g. “I think for the refills of the Moccona coffee it was like maybe $6 or $7 and now it’s like nearly $11,” one listener told Morning Report. “It can range a lot, like at some places they might be $6.50, other places they’re closer to $10,” said another. “I just grab it and put it…

Health NZ has confirmed two separate outbreaks of superbugs at Christchurch Hospital.Two different strains of antibiotic antibiotic-resistant enterococci have been identified on one ward.Health NZ Canterbury and West Coast nursing director Dr Sarah Berger said there were “fewer than 10 patients” with the infection, which was more difficult to treat because it did not respond to many medicines and was resistant to vancomycin.Vancomycin was an antibiotic used for potentially life-threatening infections which could not be treated with another effective, less toxic antimicrobial drug, including severe staphylococcus infections.”Most” of the patients were carriers rather than having active infections, Berger said.Deep ward…

IKEA is opening two pop-up stores ahead of its first New Zealand store, but just for window shoppers. The Swedish furniture giant’s Auckland showroom will open in early December at Sylvia Park. In Christchurch, shoppers can browse what it’s calling a “curated collection of popular products” from Tuesday until December 10. The pop-up is in Cathedral Square and will also include original works from local artists such as Miranda Parkes, Adam Popovic and Dcypher. On November 28, another will open in Wellington at Odlins Plaza and that will feature movie-inspired posters and trailers, created by illustrators and VFX artists from…

Schools in New Zealand and Australia have closed after recall notices were issued on both sides of the Tasman for coloured sand found to contain asbestos. Professor Brian Oliver at the University of Technology Sydney looks at the scale of the risk.Multiple schools and early learning centres in the Australian Capital Territory have shut on Friday after asbestos was found in coloured sand used for children’s art and sensory play. At least one school in Brisbane has also closed due to potential exposure.On Thursday, WorkSafe ACT issued a contamination notice after laboratory testing confirmed traces of chrysotile, a type of…

The three lucky ticket holders who won a share of Saturday’s $55 million Jackpot have come forward to claim their prize. The tickets were sold at New World Kawerau in Bay of Plenty, Pak N Save Moorhouse in Christchurch and on the MyLotto platform to a player from Auckland.After last Wednesday’s draw wasn’t struck, the prize passed $50 million, triggering the must be won event. Each of the three winners will take home $18,388,889.Lotto said there had been a spike in foot traffic at outlets from people checking if their numbers had come in. How lucky ticket-holders enjoy their winnings…

Direct flights between Dunedin and the Gold Coast have been a “major contributor” to an increase in visitors from across the Ditch, Dunedin Airport says. According to data released by Stats NZ last week, visitor arrivals from Australia to New Zealand increased 153,500 (12%) to 1.48 million in the 12 months to September this year. For the September month, 2025 was the second highest for the number of visitor arrivals from Australia, after 2019, international travel statistics spokesman Bryan Downes said. “The increase in visitor numbers from Australia in the September 2025 year coincided with an increase in flights between…

A Southland man who left his home to help a woman claiming to have a flat tyre was set upon by an accomplice and left badly injured on Saturday, police say.At around 10.55pm, a woman knocked on the victim’s door, saying she had a flat tyre and needed help, according to a police spokesperson. “The victim, a man in his 50s, walked with the woman to the corner of Melvin St and Turner St, where he was accosted by a man and assaulted.”Police said the male offender assaulted the victim and tried to tie his hands behind his back during…

Crews have continued the search for the remaining missing fisherman off the coast of Northland’s Pataua South, near Whangārei. The man is one of two who were reported missing after their boat failed to return on time on Friday night.The boat was found adrift on Saturday morning with no one aboard, followed soon after by the body of one of the men.Police, including the national dive squad, and search and rescue crews have been joined by the Royal New Zealand Navy in the search today.Detective Sergeant Paul Overton said the focus was on bringing the missing man home to his…